Seán FitzPatrick launches court action to prevent trial

Former Anglo Irish Bank chairman Seán FitzPatrick has launched a High Court action aimed at permanently preventing his trial before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court from going ahead.

Mr FitzPatrick is facing a number of charges including making a misleading, false or deceptive statement to auditors and of furnishing false information from 2002 to 2007.

The trial has been scheduled to begin on October 5th, however he claims he cannot get a fair trial due to the large volume of adverse publicity published and broadcast about him.

Last week Circuit Court Judge Martin Nolan ruled that the trial should proceed in October, after he rejected an application made on behalf of the former banker from Greystones, Co Wicklow for an adjournment.

Lawyers for Mr FitzPatrick (66), who has pleaded not guilty to 27 charges under the 1990 Companies Act – made the application due to concerns over the publicity surrounding a recent, separate trial of three Anglo officials.

Arising out of the refusal to put back his trial lawyers acting for Mr FitzPatrick on Tuesday launched High Court judicial review proceedings against both the DPP and Judge Nolan.

The matter was briefly mentioned before Mr Justice Bernard Barton at this mornings vacation sitting of the High Court.

Barrister Bernard Condon SC for Mr FitzPatrick said his client is seeking orders against the DPP preventing his prosecution from continuing. Mr FitzPatrick also seeks a declaration from the High Court that allowing his trial to proceed is contrary to the concept of a fair trial under Article 38 of the Irish Constitution.

In the alternative Mr FitzPatrick, who was not present in court, is also seeking an order preventing his trial from going ahead on October 5th. Counsel said arising out of the decision to allow the trial proceed his client has brought proceedings seeking various orders and declarations including one quashing Judge Nolan’s decision not to adjourn the trial.

Mr Justice Barton said he was not prepared to hear Mr FitzPatrick’s application for permission to bring his challenge in the absence of the other side. The Judge directed the application be heard by the High Court in the presence of the DPP on Friday August 21st next.

Last Thursday Judge Nolan said he was declining Mr FitzPatrick’s application to put back the trial.

The Judge in his ruling pointed out that the defendant had been the subject of attention for some time and that there has been a huge amount of adverse publicity directed toward Sean FitzPatrick since 2008.

However the Judge said he believes a jury can deal with the case impartially.

Mr FitzPatrick’s acquittal at a separate recent criminal trial underscored his confidence in this regard, in that the jury arrived at a verdict based on the facts of the case.

Lawyers for the DPP has submitted that the publicity did not render the trial incapable of going ahead in October.